Shoe Care – 5 tips for perfect shoes Art.5

Together with my friends at Distinctly Different, also known for The ShoeCare-Shop, we have produced a series of shoe care guides to give you the essentials on proper shoe care. This week we offer you article 5; featuring 5 simple tips for the perfect shoe care.

1 – Alternate between shoesIt all starts with alternating between your shoes. It might be the most important tip we can give you. While wearing your shoes, the leather slowly stretches and forms to the shape of your foot. The way you walk plays a big role in this. Granting your shoes a day of rest, combined with the use of a good pair of cedar shoe trees, will give your shoes the chance to reform to their original state. When taking off your shoes, always use a good shoe horn to avoid damage and the stretching of the heels.

2 – Pick a good pair of shoe treesLike we said, the use of a good pair of shoe trees is essential in the care for your shoes, but as you might have noticed already, there is quite a large variety of shoe trees. Cedar wood, beech wood, lacquered wood, single spring, double spring, travel shoe trees. They seem to come in all forms, shapes and materials. So which one should you choose? We recommend a pair of double springed cedar shoe trees for normal use. These trees will give your shoes the optimal support, because of the adjustable nose (which most of them have). Aromatic cedar is famous for its natural qualities. When unfinished, it protects the leather, fabric, stitching and soles of your shoes by absorbing moisture, salts and acid. Cedar trees smooth out creases, linings and wrinkles in the leather, making your shoes last longer and look better. Our favourite shoe trees are the luxurious trees made by Sir Beecs. They are perfect for every shoe brand and model, and are made from the best young red cedar that you can get.

3 – Repair scratchesIf happens to everyone; it’s Friday night after work and you are invited for a drink. While you’re enjoying a few drinks with your friends, a lovely lady in high heels tries to pass, putting her stiletto exactly on top of your shoe. Her heels slice gently through the upper layers of shoe polish you so passionately applied, onto the leather. Sounds familiar? No worries – with a little trick you can fix this quite easily. By simply using a slightly darker tone of Saphir Médaille d’Or Pommadier shoe cream than the colour of your shoes, the scratch disappears. The darker shade soaks into the bare leather and camouflages the scratch perfectly. If you would use the exact same colour as your shoes, the scratch will turn out lighter than the rest of your shoes, making it still visible.

4 – Take care of your leather solesMost people forget that the soles of your shoes are made from leather as well. Because they are, you should treat them occasionally – to slow down wear and tear, and waterproof them during harsh winter months. The best product for this is Saphir Médaille d’Or Sole Guard. A simple, but very essential product to have – to complete your shoe care kit. See the video below to on how to properly apply the oil to your leather soles:

5 – Recolour and protect your sole edgesThe last tip is a very important – but oh so often forgotten – finishing touch for your shoes: retouch the edge of your soles with a bit of colour. Simply apply some Saphir Médaille d’Or Paté de Luxe wax in the colour of the sole edges (often black or Dark Brown). Afterwards shine them using a shine brush. Be sure to watch the video below to see how we do it:

That was the fifth and last part of our shoe care series. Hope you enjoyed it and have learnt some new tips and tricks on how to keep your shoes shining and in good condition. If you have ideas on new topics or have questions in general feel free to share your thoughts in the comment field below.